OT: Cell phone Etiquette

My co worker and I are having a little debate.

Before this debate, I know her stance on cell phones- missed calls, messages. She feels that if she calls/texts you, you should get back to her right away, even if it's just a quick response. She thinks that because a person usually has their phone on them at all times, that they see the message/call and should respond back right away and its rude not to.

I feel that if its an emergency, then of course you should respond right away.

My stance is, that if I am in the middle of something or just dont feel like talking, texting, I will get back to you when its a better time for me, but within an acceptable time period.

For me personally I spend a lot of time on ST, FB and throughout the day at times texting, messaging with friends and emails. Not to mention actual conversations, etc I have throughout the day. So sometimes late at night I just dont want to be bothered.

I will leave my phone upstairs and DH and BS and I will head down to the family room and watch movies and just intereact with EACHOTHER.

So lastnight DH's friend's wife texted me two times and called me two times. She was inviting me to a wine/cheese party. So it wasn't an emergency.

I was telling my co worker this morning I needed to text her back and co worker said I should have done it last night.

Well after watching movies it was time to put BS to bed then DH and I were going "to bed" I wasnt about to distract myself with the phone, even if it was a simple "I'll get back to you" because we already know it's never a simple text. Then the person text back something else, then you gotta text back, blah blah blah.

Sometimes I just want to shut off from the world and not feel like I have to respond to everyone right away. I want to go at my own pace.

AND I already know that the friend is going to take issue with the fact that I didnt respond to her right away nor pick up her calls. (She's just that way)

One of my best friends refuses to get a cell phone for this exact reason. She said she doesn't want people to feel like she is available 24/7 and when you have a cell people expect that.

So is anyone else like me? Or am I the rude one like my co worker says? (LOL not that I take what she says personally)

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Comments

I agree with you 100% nothing

I agree with you 100% nothing rude about it. Then again before the advent of mobile phones I was brought up you don't ring people after 9pm anyway as it's just plain rude.

My cell phone pretty much

My cell phone pretty much glued to my body. If I don't respond to a call or text, chances are I don't feel like being bothered with that person.

Your not rude at all! When I

Your not rude at all! When I get home my phone sits on the charger and I will check it after dinner dishes are done and respond to anything that is important (usually my Mom ). My friends know that my phone is on my all day but once in the house I rarely look at it.

They also know that when Im done texting I will end the sentence in xoxoxo. as in...kiss off - Im done talking LOL

She's actually older! (early

She's actually older! (early 40s)

But she is super sensitive about EVERYTHING! So she takes it personally if someone doesnt respond right back to her. But then again she doesn't have a lot of social interactions throughout the day, so for her it's probably a welcome to have someone that wants to talk to her. Plus she isnt really involved with her own son and DH when she is home. So.....

But the woman who texted/called, she is even older then my co worker. I took her multiple attempts to reach me is that she just expected for me to pick up right away or respond right away. Like Chill out! I'm trying to live my life! LOL

I can go hours without

I can go hours without checking my cell phone for messages. Not that anyone really calls me, but whatever.

I carry it in my purse (one of those big garbage bag sized purses) and there are times when my DH will text me and I don't hear it. So he'll text again. Then call.... By the time I look at my phone he's pissy. Not to mention most of the time he's calling when I'm someplace loud like the hockey rink. I agree that just because I have a cell phone doesn't mean I'm going to respond to text or call within 30 seconds, 24/7.

Know what I hate even more? My neighbor will sometimes text me and ask me if I want to come over for some chat time. I go over, and all she does is stare at her freaking phone...send texts, answer calls... pisses me off. Why the hell did she ask me over if she's going to spend the time chatting with people who aren't physically there? I can't stand trying to have a conversation with someone who keeps picking up their phone to look at it. Is the newest post on FB really that freaking important?? Because I didn't hear the thing ring, or the txt message signal go off.

Cell phones are BANNED at our meal table. Don't care if you're eating a poptart for breakfast (go ahead, flame me for allowing my kids to eat poptarts ) or a 5 course meal for dinner. NO CELL PHONES.

I guess the phrase "convenience has it's drawbacks" is correct.

sorry, for some reason my

sorry, for some reason my computer is duplicating every post!

omg, it's POPTARS. get it

omg, it's POPTARS. get it right!

Oh, don't get me started on

Oh, don't get me started on cell phone etiquette!

I have a cell phone for MY convenience, nobody elses. I have it for emergencies and I rarely have it turned on.

I will leave it at that or I could go on all day (and I have work to do) about the rudeness of people who think cell phones are a body part.

Talking about cell

Talking about cell phones....

Another friend (DH's best friend's wife) texted me the day before my wedding wanting a number of another mutual friend of ours to invite her to her DH's surprise birthday party. Sorry but I was at 100%+ stress level, I couldnt even take one second to stop what I was doing (at the time she texted) to look up the number, write it down, then text her back (this is before I had a fancy phone that makes those things easier). By the time I finally had time to breathe it was already late and I just didnt respond back.

In my mind she should have realized how busy I was and what all I was dealing with and if she didnt hear back from me, she should have figured out a different way to get mutual friends number. (there were other options) and she shouldnt take it personal.

Oh hell nah! She took it so personal and was ICY to me at my own wedding! Then her and mutual friend and other friends wife (the wife I am talking about in the OP) were basically talking about me and the fact that I blew her off and didnt get her the phone number. It was a big dramatic mess after the wedding.

Mutual friend recently had

Mutual friend recently had her number changed and would not of had a problem with me passing her number on. So that wouldnt have been a big deal.

Your co-worker is a victim of

Your co-worker is a victim of technological communication.

Once upon a time, a message from overseas took 6 weeks to arrive to its destination.

Now days, if a day passes without a reply to your message, it feels like 80 years. The greater and more innovative communication devices become, the more impatient we are getting as a society (at least, that is my feeling).

In the realm of business, the norm is to give the reciepient 5-10 business days to respond to a letter, an email, etc. In a social environment, it is only rude not to respond to a message when the message has given an RSVP (like a wedding invitation).

There is no social ettiquette when it comes to replying to texts. At least no formal ones. Usually I would send a text or an email to someone and if I don't recieve an answer after 24 hours I would call. If I am a recipient of a message and I was busy, I would try to reply if I could be discreet and not be distracted (Like if I am in a business meeting).

You're not being rude. Just

You're not being rude. Just because the phone rings doesn't mean you have to answer it.

My cell ringtone is off when I'm at work, driving (I don't like the distraction), and after 10 p.m. every night.

I check my cell over my lunch hour during work. If someone wants to contact me they can call me using my work number.

At night I don't take my cell with me to bed, I leave it in another room. My DH brings his into our bedroom and it's very distracting.

I refuse to be held captive by a cell phone. I want to be present.

~BettyRay